1:32 Ukrainian Defenders

A present-day soldier in a small scale

While the vast majority of figure sets are aimed at the last century, this one belongs to the present. The equipment of a present-day defender looks different from that of the war: a composite helmet with side rails, a plate carrier with buckles, knee pads, headsets and a radio set on the chest. It is these elements that decide whether the result will look plausible, and at this scale they are big enough to be worked up.

Where to place the group

A shot-up prefabricated apartment block, a road barrier of concrete elements, a trench reinforced with bags or the space beside an armored vehicle all suggest themselves. A modern scene lives on small things: broken glass, a burned cable, a plastic barrier, a tire, corrugated sheet metal. Unlike historical subjects, the refuse of the present day must not be missing here, because without it the scene looks empty.

Colors and building the whole

Multicolor camouflage is painted in a subdued way at a small scale, otherwise it breaks up into blotches. A gray-green base, lighter fields over it and fine dark lines at the end have proved themselves. Plate carriers tend to be in a different shade from the uniform, which breaks the group up visually. When you place the figures, look for a triangle: two figures in front, one behind and higher. The view then gains depth without your having to build a large area.

The straps and belts can be added from thin sheet metal or from paper if the casting seems too soft in those places. The antennas of the radio sets tend to be the most fragile part and it pays to replace them with a stretched bristle or thin wire.